The phone that Mercedes gave me vibrated....It was Sissy!
"Hey Sissy, what's going on?" I said.
''I did that research for you that you wanted....And apparently you've been sold a bill of goods...There was no murder reported of any Pepe Salizar....and the Pepe Salizar we have in a data bank is very much alive...He's a recently retired boxer...now believed to be an underworld figure...." she said.
''Wow....I thought so....He married?" I asked.
"Yeah....His wife's name is Eva Salizar...She's a suspect in a murder in San Juan and another murder in Miami....and her husband, Pepe Salizar is suspected of being a major narcotics importer.He's also a suspect in another unrelated murder in Miami. These are two pretty nasty charactors Kevin." said Sissy.
"She was my client Sissy, she paid me upfront and gave me a round trip ticket to bring her so called dead husband's casket to San Juan....Turns out...That casket was full of the money you told me about that went missing from that Armored car robbery..." I said.
''Wow! Kevin...So you found it?" she said.
"Yeah..a Detective and I turned it over to the FBI yesterday...but they are keeping it quiet....I'm working with the local police here...on a sting...I plan to help them nab the mastermind behind this..." I said.
" Kevin, you never cease to amaze me...Somehow I knew when I told you the particulars of this case...that somehow,someway you'd fill in the blank spaces.." she laughed.
"Yeah...but I got fooled by a woman's tears...If not for that,I wouldn't even be mixed up in this."I said.
"Well you know what they say?" said Sissy...
"What do they say?" I asked.
"Never trust a big butt and a smile." laughed Sissy...
I laughed...
"Yeah they do say that, don't they?" I laughed.
Sissy laughed too... "You are human after all." she said.
"Yeah....I'm no different than any other guy when you break it down." I said.
"You're still better than most....You can be forgiven for a momentary slip in judgment. Be Easy Kevin." she said.
"I will Sissy..Always." I said.
No sooner than I hung up...Fillipe Castro, the driver from the other night and another man...a man I hadn't seen before walked into the bar and over to me.. Upon seeing them walk in, several of the patrons got up and moved away...
"Mr. Kevin, so nice to see you again." said the smiling Fillipe Castro...
"Always a pleasure Mr. Castro...How are you doing?" I said with a smile.
"I'm doing well...Now I want that claims check....Simply put...If you tell us that crazy story about the police having it...These two men here will kill you right now, right here and nobody in this bar will say that they even saw me tonight." he said, still smiling.
"What about my fee? The three G's I'm still owed?" I said.
"Since you gave us such a hard time yesterday, I've made a decision not to pay you anything." he said.
"So why should I give you the Claims Check?" I asked...
"Because , we'll kill you right now if you don't...Consider having your life and a round trip ticket back to Philly payment enough....Life is a very valuable thing Mr. Kevin...You can't put a price on it!" he said, still smiling...
"You know Mr. Castro...You're absolutely right....Now that you put it that way...Here...Take the Claims Check..." I said and passed it to him..."
"See Mr. Kevin that wasn't hard at all...Now be on that plane tomorrow morning and I don't ever want to see you again." he said.
"Oh you don't have to worry about that." I said and smiled....
Fillipe Castro and his two goons took the claims check and left the bar...I ordered another beer and laughed to myself...
My eyes nearly fell out of my head....She noticed it and she laughed ......She was soo cocky! I ordered her a drink, but I couldn't stop sneaking a glance at those legs, at that body....My goodness...I thought....
She noticed me looking at her, but she coolly played it off.
"Did he go for it?" she asked...
"Oh yeahh..."I said.
"He's going to be very pissed when he goes there and finds that department store mannequin in the coffin you know...He might be mad enough to come back here and kill you." she said.
"Oh he won't...He won't because they still don't have the money or the dope and they will figure that I moved it...They probably figure that I'm too much of a hustler to be working with the cops and that I discovered the real stash and am in business for myself. They know that I won't, that I can't risk trying to move all of this dough back to the U.S. So they have to figure that I'm playing for percentages..I'll stay alive until they get that money and dope..."I said.
"I hope you're right...You're taking quite a gamble Mr. Kevin..." she said.
"Life is no fun without some type of gamble...I'm a sportin man myself." I said...
We both laughed....
II-
Once again ,I saw the beautiful detective Mercedes Rodriguez on the scene...Several crime scene photographers were snapping photos...Several Detectives and policemen were asking questions...Just like at home...Nobody saw or heard a thing!
I took a look at what was three bodies... Fillipe Castro, his driver from the other night and the third man who visited me earlier...They had all had their throats slashed...The price for screwing up one too many times!!!
"These people are serious....Funny...I've been wanting to put handcuffs on this Fillipe Castro for a year now and I feel I got cheated out of it...Somebody got to him first." she said..
"That means that whoever is looking for the contents in that casket knows that I'm serious too. I figure these people are serious." I said.
"Yes they are..Dead Serious. I can't play this game of yours anymore...Go home Mr. Kevin...I don't want you to get hurt." she said.
"Look! You wanna catch the boss, Don't you? Let me play this string out...Whoever is behind this is going to make themselves known to me and soon...They want that money and that dope even more. You got any informants??...People who can get word to whoever in the street?" I asked.
"Yeah of course." she said.
''Well, put the word out that I'm willing to make a deal for the cash and the dope for a percentage...Tell em,I'll meet em tomorrow night at 11:00 pm at the same bar I was at tonight..Look I'll wear a wire and I got a GPS system in my phone..You can follow me and listen to every word said." I said.
"But!" she said...
"But nothing!!!...One day you're going to be a Lieutenant and have detectives under you, following your wise lead...These are the type of cases you'll tell em about that you cracked...that made you great...And I wouldn't be saying this ,If I didn't already think that you're a great detective." I said..
Tears began to stream down her face...I was surprised...This tough as nails, wise cracking detective was crying???
''What's the matter?" I said.
"I'm...I'm frightened for you...I don't want you to get hurt... I lost a good informant, an informant who was a close friend to these bastards last year...and an undercover cop...also a good friend was killed by these guys too.." she said.
"And your boy Munez's informant was killed too...Those are the three murders you are talking about that you can't prove ,but that you wanted Castro for badly right..?" I said.
"Yes." she said, tears still streaming...
I held her in my arms for awhile...like Sissy, Like Eva...Like my wife, Sepia.. She was round and soft...
''So this is personal for you eh?" I said softly...
I pulled out a hankerchief and wiped her tears...
"I'll be fine...I do this for a living..as do you." I said. "It'll be alright...Let me help you get some payback for your friends.. Let me help you get the people who really make the dirt happen." I said.
''Kevin?" she said.
"Don't tell anybody I got all girly...Ok?" she said.
"Your secret is safe with me." I said.
She looked at me and managed a smile finally.
III-
The next night...Here I was ...In the bar, drinking another Corona....At 10:59 sharp, a tall, athletically built man ,who moved and carried himself like a boxer and another man walked over to me...
"You Kevin Morris?" he asked.
''Who wants to know?" I asked.
The other man stuck a pistol in my back....
"I wanna know and I'm not here to play games so cut it with the wisecracks." said the Tall, Athleticlly built man...
"Easyy...Take it easy ace." said the other man ,who pulled my .22 out of my jacket pocket...Shame he didn't realize I had another .22 in an ankle holster I had borrowed from Detective Mercedes Rodriguez.
''A .22? That's a lady's gun...."he sneered...
I said nothing...
"Not such a smart alec now are you??I should kill you right now." said the tall athleticlly built man.
"But you won't, because I have something you want...So I got six million reasons why you ought to be nice to me." I said.
"Let's go ace...There's a car waiting outside..."he said.
"Lead the way...I'd rather talk to your boss, not some errand boys."I said.
"I am the boss." he sneered..
"Sure you are.." I said.
He angrily stomped his foot.. the other man cautioned him..
"Relax...Pepe..We got him now!" he said.
I walked with the two men outside to a Black 1958 Caddy...
"He won't be needin it anymore...On a count of he's dead!" said the other man who took the wheel...
"Wow....you guys don't play."I said.
"Shut up!" said the tall athletic man who carried himself like a boxer....
They drove me to San Juan's version of "The bottom" and told me to get out of the car...They marched me down a drive way and into a house...Where in the living room...I saw the real mastermind of the entire operation...
"Well I'll be damned....You?" I said.
It was Eva Salizar!!!
''Hello Sexy...You know this could have all been so simple..Why did you have to make this so hard? I had no desire to kill you.. None at all..." she said.
"Because I don't like being lied to...You had six million dollars in cash in that casket and enough dope and coke to make you five or six times that much on the street....but now I have it...You were going to pay me a lousy 6 G's, while you pocketed millions? Uh Uhhhh,I 'm from Philly..I know when I'm being stuck up." I said.
Eva laughed...
"What do you want?" she asked.
"One hundred thousand dollars cash...and we call it a day." I said.
They all laughed....
"What do you think Pepe?" she said.
The athletically built man who moved like a boxer frowned...
"There are ways to make him tell where the location is and tell us things we didn't even want to know...I'm not for giving him a red cent. " he said.
''So you're the late Pepe Salizar...You look good for a dead man." I said.
"And so will you." he said angrilly.I was really getting up under his skin...I could tell.
"Did you kill Fillipe Castro? Everyone thought he was the man you know!" I said.
"That's how we wanted it...Everyone thinking he was the man as you say....While my husband and I were really running things in this town and have been for some time.." said Eva...
"I killed all three of them myself....Just like I'll do you." said Pepe proudly....
"Pepe, you talk too much...be quiet." said Eva.
"No you won't...because I still have your money. " I said.
"Damnit ,I've had enough of you...I don't care about the money..I'll kill you now!!" he screamed...
"Pepe, pipe down." shouted Eva...
"I am tired of his wise cracks ,of him putting me down.." screamed Pepe..
"Listen to your wife Pepe...relax." I said with a smile...
Pepe swung at me...Big mistake...
I sucker punched Pepe Salizar in his jaw so hard that he spun around and dropped to one knee.. and then I slugged the man standing next to him in the face,knocking him down....Hadn't thrown a punch that good since I was a boxer myself. The man I had just slugged quickly got to his feet and went for his gun...but by then,I had got out my other .22 and fired twice,hitting Pepe Salizar in his shoulder and in his stomach...
''Arghhhhhhhhhhhh...I don't believe it..I've been shot!" he screamed and then grabbed his stomach and fell to the ground...Eva got up and attempted to run...
The other man I slugged attempted to aim his pistol at me, but was shot in the shoulder and in his side...He fell to the ground...I looked up....It was Detective Mercedes Rodriguez....her glock was smoking! I smiled...
''Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I've been shotttt! ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he moaned.....and fell to the ground...
Before Eva could run any further or get into anything, I grabbed her by the arm and I put the muzzle of my .22 to her temple...
"Easy now ...Easy now beautiful...Wouldn't want to re-arrange that pretty face sweetheart!" I said. .She was no fool, she breathed in and out and raised her hands in defeat!
Neither Pepe, nor the other man who Mercedes shot were dead...They were loaded unto gurneys and taken out to a waiting ambulance....Pepe said something in Spanish that sounded uncomplimentary to my mother....I just laughed at him...
Eva was handcuffed...
She looked at me one last time....
"Why couldn't you just give us the claim ticket and get back on the damn plane?/Whyyyy, Why you have to make everything so damn hard and difficult? This was easy money for you."she said.
There is no easy money!
"That's the way I do it baby. Hard and difficult" I said.
Mercedes Rodriguez laughed and slapped her thigh upon hearing me saying that as police officers led Eva out of the house..
"You are too much man!" she said still laughing...
Surprisingly, before Eva got out the door, she turned, looked at me and smiled...
"Damn...Under other circumstances....I bet you could do it hard..and do it well....ouuuu Shame I won't ever find out.." she said as she was escorted away.
"She is very pretty...I see why you agreed so fast." said Detective Mercedes Rodriguez.
"She was alright....But you were right...I shoulda checked her out before agreeing to come here...I know better than that." I said.
"That's okay...You're human and you're a man! That about wraps everything up...The Federalis got their money and we got our killers off the street. We made a good team Mr. Kevin." she said.
"Yes we did. See? I told you everything would work out, didn't I?" I said and kissed her forehead...
"Ughhh, a forehead kiss? Guess that means we are friends huh?" she joked.
"I thought we were already friends." I said laughing...
"We are....Always!!!" she said and rubbed my arm softly.
She hugged me for a long time...Like Sissy, her body was soft and round too...She gently broke our embrace after awhile...She stared in my eyes and managed a weak smile...
"Uh, as much as I like, am enjoying this...We keep this up and uh..er...People might talk.." she said and smiled.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right......." I said. She busted out laughing.....
"Carlotta told me you were good....She was so right...." she said.
''You're not bad yourself Detective.. Looks like my work here is done..."I said.
"I suppose you're going back to Philly huh?" she said.
"First thing in the morning....But the night is still young Detective...When do you get off duty?" I asked.
"I'm free now." she said as the last police car pulled off!
"Want to buy a guy a drink or a couple of drinks?" I joked..
''Sure. You know where my car is...Hop in" she said.
I got in the passenger side....Detective Mercedes Rodriguez took the wheel and we drove off into the San Juan night.
EPILOUGE-
Of course, I couldn't wait to get home to Sepia....I was holding back a lot those three days in San Juan and was strong beyond most men's capabilities.....
"Ouuuu lover...you really missed me didn't you?" said Sepia in between kisses...
"I did...There was lots of beautiful women down there, but all I kept thinking about was you." I said.
"Yeah right!" she laughed...
"Come on...Didn't I call you and have phone sex with you?" I said.
"Yes you did..kinda sorta" she said.
"I was doing that to keep from yielding to any temptation." I said.
"Was there any temptation to yield from?" she asked..
I thought about Detective Mercedes Rodriguez.....and smiled to myself...
"Always...I'm a man in demand." I joked...
"Oh really? Well I demand that my man in demand, take momma upstairs and show her why he's so in demand?" she laughed...
"Will you be wearing that new thing you said you just bought?" I asked...
Sepia giggled..."If you want me to."
We wound up upstairs in our bedroom....She never got the chance to put it on though!
6 comments:
GREAT STORY!!! I thought Kevin and Mercedes were going to kiss and wind up in that loft getting it on..but it appears that they didn't...Kevin is a strong man! stronger than I am.LOL!
Good story..You know...after they went to get those drinks...There is no mention as to what they did next....Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!
This could be a nice storyline later...Kevin's crush on Mercedes!
LOL! Men! I'm assuming that that is all that happened...They went to get drinks and then Kevin went back to that apartment alone...Just like the night before...He had a chance to stay at Mercedes's apartment with her and he didn't take it and he called his wife twice that night...So I'm assuming that he followed suit the next night also.It's not like it wouldn't have been written about iof something did happen..This is ESCAPADES after all.
That was a close call. And I'm not talking about bullets.
LMAO @ SLC....Yeah,I thought that Kevin and Mercedes just missed gettin it on...She purely wanted to...and it was all he could do..not to take her up on it...I think he had been turned on by both Eva and Mercedes...but he resisted...He's a good man....
He struggles with his repressed feelings for Sissy...
This explains why he jumps Sepia's bones with so much vigor after having stood on the roof drinking coffee and hugging on Sissy all the time...Just my two cents!
Interesting observation...Repressed feelings for Sissy....Obvious crush on Carlotta's cousin Mercedes....This would make for a juicy future storyline!
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